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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. pitch — completely
  3. drill — the tool
  4. bear — the animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. game — wild animals
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. drill — a practice
  11. pop — to visit
  12. drill — army training
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. pop — soda
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. game — a match
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. ball — a great time
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. pop — music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com